One type of display panel presently available commercially is made by Burroughs Corporation and is known as a SELF-SCAN panel. This type of panel is a dot matrix device and includes a first layer of dot-like cells arrayed in rows and columns and adapted to be scanned column by column. The panel includes a second layer of display cells, each such cell being aligned with one of the cells of the first layer which are known as priming or scanning cells and adapted to have glow transferred thereto as the scanning cells are scanned in accordance with input information signals. These input signals control the pattern of display cells which are caused to flow to provide a display of a character or message.
This known type of panel operates satisfactorily; however, no matter how well a device operates, there is always a need for simplification in structure to provide economies in mass production. In addition, the above-described SELF-SCAN panel structure does not readily lend itself to the manufacture of large size panels, for example, of the type known in the industry as wall displays.